Comeback Player of the Year now has guidelines

[MightyGiants]

The Associated Press, after years of providing no guidance whatsoever for what "Comeback Player of the Year" means, has finally given the voters something more than "comeback."

"The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season," the AP told voters on Tuesday.

In other words, "Coming Back from Sucking" is no longer a thing. Likewise, "Coming Back from Being a Backup" apparently doesn't qualify the player for the award. (That said, being benched would arguably count as "other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.")

Given that the change was sparked by Geno Smith winning the award in 2022 and undoubtedly exacerbated by Damar Hamlin not winning it in 2023, the "Coming Back from Being a Backup" subcategory presumably is dead.

If that's the case (as it seems to be), anyone who has dropped some cash on, say, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson at 12-1 (or so) might be a little upset right now.

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https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/new-comeback-player-of-the-year-guidelines-could-frustrate-some-gamblers